


Destiny Is Playing Dirty

by Glacy



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Colour-blind Until You Meet Your Soulmate, M/M, Miscommunication, Slow Romance, Texting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-11-04 21:47:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10999650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glacy/pseuds/Glacy
Summary: James Norrington was always excited for the moment he would see his soulmate for the first time - it would not only mean finding his one true love, but also splashing colours into the monotone, grey world.Then he saw Jack Sparrow.And decided he would rather spend the rest of his life colour-blind then living with a dirty pirate wannabe.





	1. James, in denial

The colour of the sky was different from what he imagined. Blue. It was like Saturday and the smell of mouthwash combined. He liked it though. He also liked the freshness of grass, the bright shades used on pamphlets and stands all around him. Suddenly, the food festival felt alive, like he had been trapped in a dream till then. The subtle move of clouds on the blue, oh so blue, sky was too beautiful, he forgot to breathe for a moment.

Then his wondering eyes fell on the cause of this change. The man who turned shades of grey into a painter’s pallet.

No. Just no.

James was lucky, the hobo hasn’t noticed him. Yet. He rushed to the side, taking cover behind a stand with Indian sweets.

He always thought his soulmate would be like his business teacher – clean-shaven, with ironed collar and a smell of expensive cologne around him. He wasn’t insisting on endless charisma and dry sense of humour, because he was trying to stay realistic, but he wouldn’t mind those qualities either. To put it simply: his soulmate wasn’t supposed to be like… _that_.

James peeked at the man with long dark hair. Then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Looked again. So apparently his soulmate was an alcoholic - he was just showing another man how to drink from two shot glasses at once. But James can work with that. He can even afford to pay for an addiction rehab. And while he’s at it he can pay for a proper haircut too. No way was he kissing someone with dreadlocks. Also the ugly headscarf will have to go. Who even wore a headscarf at this time and age? Was this guy pretending to be a pirate or what?

Hope grasped Norrington.

Maybe that’s it. Maybe this man, his soulmate, was a clean-shaved teacher after all. Maybe he was just helping with the festival – entertaining children while their parents stuffed their bellies with food from around the globe.

James exhaled. Yes, that must be it. By no means was his soulmate a dirty, long-haired pirate with a drinking problem. Destiny would never do that to him.

It wouldn’t… right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this needs another chapter... what do you think?


	2. Jack, showing his best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is.
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to all of you who commented. Thank you so much for expressing your opinions. Don't stop.

Jack almost choked when the world bloomed in colours. He always thought everyone was being overdramatic while describing it – everything becomes vibrant, glowing, ablaze, _blah blah_ … But now the rum in his glass looked tastier than ever before. On the other hand, the table he was standing at looked even stickier.

“Alright, my lad, I think it’s time for celebrating,” he declared and filled another shot glass.

“What are you talking about?” Will frowned, confused by the sudden change of subject. They were talking about fishing. And kilts. For some reason those topics always came hand in hand.

“Do not worry, boy, I ain’t drunk. I’ve just found my soulmate. And there was no need for actual looking. Luck, aye?”

“Jack, would you care to explain?” Will proposed patiently, a wrinkle forming between his eyebrows. That boy was frowning most of the time. Only when his girl was around his features relaxed and softened.

Jack sighed and leaned toward him.

“I see colours,” he said making a wide gesture with his arms.

“But that – that’s amazing! Finally!”

“Finally? What do you mean finally? My one true love and I have been together forever,” Jack said, raising both cups with care and making their content disappear in his throat. If a man could marry a drink, he would have already made rum his bride.

“You never change,” Will shook his head.

“Why should I change? I am already too perfect for this world,” Jack jerked his head.

“Have you ever thought about...” Will started, but his words couldn’t reach the other man.

Jack felt a strange tingle on the back of his neck followed by a sudden urge to turn.

Something inside him clicked. _That man_. That lean man who looked like he’s just swallowed three citrons and a bottle of vinegar was his soulmate. He was currently going at a snail’s pace because of the sluggish crowd. Thank god. Jack felt a sudden need to run. But of course he couldn’t do that. Running through crowds was always problematic. And young Turner would stop him.

“Go find your girl, William,” Jack said, no mocking in his voice for once, “I need to handle the love of my life alone.”

“Jack, are you-” Will followed his gaze and sighed, “Alright, I’ll go. But you’ll call me, right?”

“I’ll text,” Jack corrected him.

The two men exchanged glances. For a moment it seemed that Will was going to do something disgustingly sentimental. Like hugging him or pressing his arm. Then he turned away and Jack was alone.

For a second. Then the crowd casted up his soulmate.

They looked at each other. Jack couldn’t find any appropriate words for his feelings. How do you bring up the fact that you never thought you’d be dating a lawyer? Because everything about this man screamed law major. From the tips of his polished shoes to the tidy short haircut.

The man’s lips parted. Jack thought he could watch that beautiful curve of his mouth forever. And he was half-expecting a posh English accent.

“I seem to be your soulmate,” came out. Jack wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or relieved that no posh accent was to be heard.

“It was about time you showed up,” he said. Nothing makes you look better than a mild insult instead of a greeting.

“Excuse me?” the man blinked, taken aback.

“I can see the world in full colours for five minutes now. What took you so long?” Jack demanded.

“Oh, that’s interesting,” the man replied, pursing his lips, “It then seems only one party seeing the other is sufficient.”

“Direct eye-contact obviously doesn’t seem to be necessary, yeah. Or the soulmates looking at each other, cause I am pretty sure I am seeing you now for the first time.”

The man took a breath to say something, but Jack was faster.

“That of course brings up the question,” he continued his ramble, “How does a blind person know their soulmate. Any fraud can claim to be your destined love, but you have no idea if that’s true or not. And if you are not only blind but also rich, there is an even higher possibility of being deceived. Have you ever thought about that?”

“I… haven’t,” the man admitted slowly. He seemed a bit concerned for the direction their conversation took.

“Good. Not good that you’ve never thought of that. Have some space for the disabled in your heart. But of course I am glad to broaden your horizons,” Jack smiled.

Silence fell between them.

Jack clicked his tongue. “So… you’ve got a name?”

“Yes, of course,” the man seemed to collect himself, “My name is James Norrington. Bachelor of Science, currently in the process of acquiring a master’s degree.”

“Science? What kind? I hope you are not one of the white-cloaked lab rats who come home smelling of chemicals.”

James didn’t react.

“I seem to have misheard your name,” he reminded Jack with a stone-cold face.

“Jack, Jack Sparrow,” he extended his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nah, it’s not,” Jack snorted. James looked like he was sticking his arm into a bucket of snails when he shook his hand.

“Excuse me?”

“Look, I can see you haven’t imagined the love of your life to be like me. To be fair, I was never really into the good guys either, if you know what I mean.”

“I am afraid I do,” James confirmed with apparent disgust.

“Great! So how about we won’t make a big deal out of it?”

“What do you suggest?” A frown formed on James’s face, accompanied by a wrinkle on his forehead.

“I’ll go back to eating bush-crickets with my godson and you’ll go back to… I don’t know, you are not here alone, are you?”

“No, of course not,” James denied quickly, offended by the suggestion.

“Then gather your flock and have fun,” Jack wished him and started moving backwards, “Definitely try some of that sweet Slavic stuff. And also chana masala is good. Can’t speak for the crickets.”

“Wait!” James objected, “You have to give me your phone number.”

“Phone number? That’s still a thing? Don’t you want my Facebook profile?”

Jack wanted to continue but the tired look on James’s face stopped him.

“Alright, give me your phone,” he sighed.

James took out a spotless black iPhone. Of course. Jack tried really hard not to roll his eyes.

“Now you can text me,” he handed the phone back to his owner, “sorry, but I prefer texts over calls. They’re easier to ignore.”

He grinned, unable not to say the last sentence.

James turned pale. He didn’t say anything, just looked at Jack with those sad, sad eyes. Jack wanted to compare them to something, use a deep metaphor. But he had no idea what colour they were. Was it brown? Does brown look like that? He didn’t know.

He forced himself to look away.

“Well, I’ll be going now,” he announced again and started to retreat once again.

James’s lips parted, strange expression crossing his face. For a brief moment, Jack wanted to be stopped by his words. To stay and talk to him at this sticky table.

“Farewell.”

Jack didn’t answer. Just nodded and turned away.

He marched down around the stands. Then he remembered he forgot a bottle of fine Havana Rum on that damned table. Even though his heart bled for it, he didn’t feel like going back. Another confrontation with his triste soulmate would completely ruin him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two will have hard time getting along. Or won't they?


	3. James, raging

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news: Finals are over. I have time to write and I've managed to get a beta-reader who actually corrects me.   
> Bad news: I am going on vacation with poor to no wifi connection :(

He wanted to call his mother but she’d forbidden him to.

“You are full of forced negativity, Jamie, I don’t want to hear any of it. Not on my honeymoon.”

James had told her he wasn’t forcing negativity. He just didn’t seem to find anything positive. Now he was left in his apartment on a Sunday evening with no one to call and nothing to do. He could go and draw or read, go for a walk… but he tried all these activities more than once in the past two days and he got stuck every time, thinking about Jack Sparrow. What a rubbish name. But he needed to call that man. They were soulmates. They had to talk.

James gulped and remember the tales of people who never came to like their chosen ones. Some of those stories ended well – they started living in a polyamoric relationship with other couples, they decided to have a purely platonic relationship. And then there were the ones who parted and never found anyone to spend their lifetime with.

And that was okay. Not everyone was into romance and long-lasting relationships. James believed people could be happy without a partner in their life, live a complete life.

But not him.

He wanted to wake next to someone.

He wanted to caress someone’s hair and have matching coffee cups.

He wanted to adopt five dogs from a shelter and go for long, long walks, warm hand of his lover grasping his.

He clenched his phone. He _has_ to call that man. He tried to dial Jack’s number more than a dozen times now, always losing courage before pressing the call button.

James curled up in his bed and tried not to think about it. Not to think about the fact that the most important, the _magical_ , encounter happened at a food festival near a sticky plastic table. And that he went to a food festival alone. And that he will go alone next time because he is not exactly fond of his soulmate. And Jack clearly dislikes him - he snorted at him.

James straightened up.

He was not to be snorted at by some filthy dreadlocks guy who knows no manners. Oh no, definitely not him, James Norrington, Bachelor of Science. Be it his soulmate or not, his dignity was not to be lowered.

He grabbed his phoned and typed out a message, pressing _send_ before he had time to think about it.

_Screw you, Jack Sparrow. I won’t get scared away by the rough exterior of yours and snarky remarks!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being patient with me.
> 
> Would you prefer longer chapters?


	4. texting, fierce

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Which one of them is more likely to browse through tumblr for hours, I wonder?


End file.
